| Country name: |
conventional long form:
Kingdom of Belgium
conventional short form:
Belgium
local long form:
Royaume de Belgique/Koninkrijk Belgie
local short form:
Belgique/Belgie
|
| Government type: |
federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarch
|
| Administrative divisions: |
10 provinces (French: provinces, singular - province; Flemish: provincien, singular - provincie); Antwerpen, Brabant Wallon, Hainaut, Liege, Limburg, Luxembourg, Namur, Oost-Vlaanderen, Vlaams Brabant, West-Vlaanderen; note - the Brussels Capitol Region is not included within the 10 provinces
|
| Independence: |
21 July 1831 (from the Netherlands)
|
| National holiday: |
Independence Day, 21 July (1831)
|
| Constitution: |
7 February 1831, last revised 14 July 1993; parliament approved a constitutional package creating a federal state
|
| Legal system: |
civil law system influenced by English constitutional theory; judicial review of legislative acts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
|
| Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
|
| Executive branch: |
chief of state:
King ALBERT II (since 9 August 1993); Heir Apparent Prince PHILIPPE, son of the monarch
head of government:
Prime Minister Guy VERHOFSTADT (since 13 July 1999)
cabinet:
Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch and approved by Parliament
elections:
none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch and then approved by Parliament
note:
government coalition - VLD, PRL, PS, SP, AGALEV, and ECOLO
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| Legislative branch: |
bicameral Parliament consists of a Senate or Senaat in Dutch, Senat in French (71 seats; 40 members are directly elected by popular vote, 31 are indirectly elected; members serve four-year terms) and a Chamber of Deputies or Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers in Dutch, Chambre des Representants in French (150 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections:
Senate and Chamber of Deputies - last held 13 June 1999 (next to be held in NA 2003)
election results:
Senate - percent of vote by party - VLD 15.4%, CVP 14.7%, PRL 10.6%, PS 9.7%, VB 9.4%, SP 8.9%, ECOLO 7.4%, AGALEV 7.1%, PSC 6.0%, VU 5.1%; seats by party - VLD 11, CVP 10, PS 10, PRL 9, VB 6, SP 6, ECOLO 6, AGALEV 5, PSC 5, VU 3; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - VLD 14.3%, CVP 14.1%, PS 10.2%, PRL 10.1%, VB 9.9%, SP 9.5%, ECOLO 7.4%, AGALEV 7.0%, PSC 5.9%, VU 5.6%; seats by party - VLD 23, CVP 22, PS 19, PRL 18, VB 15, SP 14, ECOLO 11, PSC 10, AGALEV 9, VU 8, FN 1
note:
as a result of the 1993 constitutional revision that furthered devolution into a federal state, there are now three levels of government (federal, regional, and linguistic community) with a complex division of responsibilities; this reality leaves six governments each with its own legislative assembly; for other acronyms of the listed parties see Political parties and leaders
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| Judicial branch: |
Supreme Court of Justice or Hof van Cassatie (in Dutch) or Cour de Cassation (in French) (judges are appointed for life by the monarch)
|
| Political parties and leaders: |
AGALEV (Flemish Greens) [Dos GEYSELS]; ECOLO (Francophone Greens) [no president]; Flemish Christian Democrats or CVP (Christian People's Party) [Stefaan DE CLERCK, president]; Flemish Liberal Democrats or VLD [Karel DE GUCHT, president]; Flemish Socialist Party or SP [Patrick JANSSENS, president]; Francophone Christian Democrats or PSC (Social Christian Party) [Joelle MILQUET, president]; Francophone Liberal Reformation Party or PRL [Daniel DUCARME, president]; Francophone Socialist Party or PS [Elio DI RUPO, president]; National Front or FN [Daniel FERET]; Vlaams Blok or VB [Frank VANHECKE]; Volksunie or VU [leader vacant]; other minor parties
|
| Political pressure groups and leaders: |
Christian and Socialist Trade Unions; Federation of Belgian Industries; numerous other associations representing bankers, manufacturers, middle-class artisans, and the legal and medical professions; various organizations represent the cultural interests of Flanders and Wallonia; various peace groups such as Pax Christi and groups representing immigrants
|
| International organization participation: |
ACCT, AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, Benelux, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNMOP, UNRWA, UNTSO, UPU, WADB (nonregional), WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC
|
| Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Alexis REYN
chancery:
3330 Garfield Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 333-6900
FAX:
[1] (202) 333-3079
consulate(s) general:
Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York
|
| Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador (vacant)
embassy:
27 Boulevard du Regent, B-1000 Brussels
mailing address:
PSC 82, Box 002, APO AE 09710
telephone:
[32] (2) 508-2111
FAX:
[32] (2) 511-2725
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| Flag description: |
three equal vertical bands of black (hoist side), yellow, and red; the design was based on the flag of France
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